Alison Bruce

Last updated

Alison Bruce
Born
OccupationActress
Years active1986–present

Alison Bruce is a New Zealand television and film actress, who starred in the 2001 feature film Magik and Rose. She also appeared in the teen series Being Eve and Xena: Warrior Princess , and had a recurring role as Simula in Young Hercules .

Contents

Early life and education

Bruce was born in Tanzania to a Scottish father and an English mother. Her family moved to New Zealand when she was around eight. [1]

She trained at Auckland's Theatre Corporate in the early 1980s.[ citation needed ]

Career

Bruce soon began a busy acting career with stage roles that include starring in Hamlet (as Ophelia) and Cyrano de Bergerac (as Roxane).[ citation needed ]

She made her screen debut in the 1984 teleplay The Minders . Since then she has acted in more than 30 screen roles, including sizeable parts in two feature films: the 1990 chase comedy User Friendly, in which her character steals a keenly-sought dog statue from a crazed former boss; and 2001 feature Magik and Rose, which Bruce later described as a turning point in terms of the type of roles she is offered. [2] The comedy-drama saw Bruce playing Magik, a fortune-teller who arrives in a Kiwi town in a house-truck, seeking the daughter she gave up for adoption many years before.

Bruce also acted in the based-on-a-true-story feature The World's Fastest Indian (as a doctor) and the short film Mon Desir, which was selected to play in the Un Certain Regard section of the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.[ citation needed ]

Television

Bruce's television roles include the eccentric mother of Eve, the main character in award-winning series Being Eve , and the hospital personal assistant who falls pregnant in Mercy Peak . The latter part would win Bruce two consecutive New Zealand television awards for best supporting actor. She also had a number of small roles on the Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys franchise, including playing an Amazon Queen (Queen Melosa). Bruce enjoyed the chance to take part in fight scenes, and "do all this stuff you normally don't get to do in television". [3]

Bruce played estranged mother to a family of gods in the first two seasons (2010–2011) of the television series The Almighty Johnsons , and worked with New Zealand director Jane Campion on the 2012 series Top of the Lake . [4]

Personal life

Bruce's long-term partner is casting director and actor Neill Rea. As of 2022 they were living in central Auckland. [5]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1990User FriendlyAugusta
1990 An Angel at My Table Dora
1991 The End of the Golden Weather Auntie Kass
1991 Old Scores Ngaire Morgan
1991Mon DesirShort
1992 Alex Female Journo
1999 Willy Nilly CarolShort
2001Magik and RoseMagik
2003 Sylvia Elizabeth
2004 Spooked Sheila Miller
2004 As Dreams Are Made On RuthShort
2005 The World's Fastest Indian Doctor
2005UsWomanShort
2006 Perfect Creature TV Presenter
2007 The Tattooist Charge Nurse
2012DottyCarolShort
2017The PactSandraShort
2018Sail AwayMargaretShort, completed

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986HeroesGlenda"2.2"
1987AdventurerSovay Banks"Sovay, Parts 1 & 2"
1990 Shark in the Park Christina Long"Fall from Grace"
1990Star RunnerTV film
1993 The Rainbow Warrior Leslie HolbrookTV film
1994CoverstoryKaren ParkerTV film
1995 Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Postera"Gladiator"
1995 Xena: Warrior Princess Queen Melosa"Hooves and Harlots"
1998 City Life Katherine Dwyer"1.15", "1.24"
1998 Shortland Street Danni Brown / Lindsay MaguireTV series
1998The ChosenDeniseTV film
1998–99 Young Hercules SimulaRecurring role
1999 Xena: Warrior Princess Talia"Animal Attraction"
2000 Xena: Warrior Princess Kahina "Legacy"
2001–02 Mercy Peak Louise DuvalMain role
2001–02 Being Eve Vivienne BaxterMain role
2006 Maddigan's Quest Witch-Finder"Witch-Finder"
2007Reckless Behavior: Caught on TapeGrace LeisterTV film
2009Life's a RiotNell EdmondsTV film
2010 Legend of the Seeker Sister VernaRecurring role
2010 This Is Not My Life JudeRecurring role
2010 Avalon High Coach MiganovTV film
2011–12 The Almighty Johnsons AgnethaRecurring role
2013 Top of the Lake Anne-MarieRecurring role
2014The KickSheryll DonaldTV film
2016HillaryPhyllis RoseTV series
2016Dirty LaundryDeliaTV series
2018 The Brokenwood Mysteries Fiona"The Dark Angel"
2019–present The Gulf Sen. Sgt. Denise AbernethyTV series
2019–20 Golden Boy SusanTV series, 16 episodes, 2 seasons
2020 The Wilds Coach Ellen RoseTV series
2020 One Lane Bridge Lois TremaineTV series
2020 Mystic JuliaTV series

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult
2000 New Zealand Film and TV Awards Best ActressMagik and RoseNominated
2002New Zealand Film and TV AwardsBest Supporting ActressMercy PeakWon
2005 Gemini Awards Best Lifestyle/Practical Information SegmentZeD, "Pumpkin Boats"Nominated
2006 New Zealand Screen Awards Best Performance in a Short FilmUsWon
2010New Zealand Film and TV AwardsBest Lead Actress in a Feature FilmLife's a RiotNominated

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References

  1. "Alison Bruce". NZOnScreen.com. December 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  2. "Alison Bruce: on Being Eve, Hercules and Agnetha". NZOnScreen.com. February 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  3. "An Interview with Alison Bruce". Whoosh.org. May 1998. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  4. "Top of the Lake". IMDb.
  5. Klein-Nixon, Kylie (4 June 2022). "Why Brokenwood star Neill Rea 'hates ceramics and ceramicists'". Stuff. Retrieved 23 June 2023.